Courage

-81-

Book: Courage
Chapter 81
Word Count: 8829

Layla Lupin, aged sixteen, brown hair still containing the gorgeously pink streaks, sat at the dining table in 12 Grimmauld Place, a cup of tea in front of her on the table which was littered with newspapers. Layla rummaged through every Daily Prophet that had been published since the start of the summer, picking one of them up, her milky brown eyes scanning its contents.

HARRY POTTER: THE CHOSEN ONE?

Rumors continue to fly about the mysterious recent disturbance at the Ministry of Magic, during which He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was sighted once more.

"We're not allowed to talk about it, don't ask me anything," said one agitated Obliviator, who refused to give his name as he left the Ministry last night.

Nevertheless, highly placed sources within the Ministry have confirmed that the disturbance centered on the fabled Hall of Prophecy.

Though Ministry spokes-wizards have hitherto refused even to confirm the existence of such a place, a growing number of the Wizarding community believe that the Death Eaters now serving sentences in Azkaban for trespass and attempted theft were attempting to steal a prophecy. The nature of that prophecy is unknown, although speculation is rife that it concerns Harry Potter, the only person ever known to have survived the Killing Curse, and who is also known to have been at the Ministry on the night in question. Some are going so far as to call Potter "the Chosen One," believing that the prophecy names him as the only one who will be able to rid us of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

The current whereabouts of the prophecy, if it exists, are unknown, although {cont. page2, column 5)

Layla sighed and slammed the newspaper down. She had been stuck inside for most of the summer, going insane. Her dad thought that with the Dark Lord now at full strength and out there somewhere, it was too dangerous to even step foot outside, which was outrageous in Layla's opinion. The only way she was able to stay connected to the outside world and find out what was happening out there was through the Daily Prophets.

She picked up another newspaper, scanning the front page once again for anymore news that could intrigue her.

SCRIMGEOUR SUCCEEDS FUDGE

Rufus Scrimgeour, previously Head of the Auror office in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, has succeeded Cornelius Fudge as Minister of Magic. The appointment has largely been greeted with enthusiasm by the Wizarding community, though rumors of a rift between the new Minister and Albus Dumbledore, newly reinstated Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, surfaced within hours of Scrimgeour taking office.
Scrimgeours representatives admitted that he had met with Dumbledore at once upon taking possession of the top job, but refused to comment on the topics under discussion. Albus Dumbledore is known to (cont. page 3, column 2)

Layla already knew enough about Dumbledore that she didn't feel the need to turn the page, so she placed the newspaper down and rummaged around, picking up at random another edition of the Daily Prophet.

MINISTRY GUARANTEES STUDENTS' SAFETY

Newly appointed Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, spoke today of the tough new measures taken by his Ministry to ensure the safety of students returning to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this autumn.

"For obvious reasons, the Ministry will not be going into detail about its stringent new security plans," said the Minister, although an insider confirmed that measures include defensive spells and charms, a complex array of countercurses, and a small task force of Aurors dedicated solely to the protection of Hogwarts School.